Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Information

Degrees Offered:

Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Format: Campus

Program Description:

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) accredited program, prepares its graduates for the professional practice of counseling. It prepares counseling professionals for a variety of work settings such as university, community agencies, clinics, hospitals, drug abuse centers, child protective services, private practice, business and industry. The program prepares highly competent counseling professionals – including entry and advanced level counselors, counseling researchers, and counseling administrators - to have a significant impact on the mental health field as counselors, program directors, researchers, grant writers, and policy makers on the local, state, and national levels. With those goals in mind, the curriculum focuses on a broad spectrum of issues including: assessing, treating or working to ameliorate a disability, problem, or disorder; the antecedent conditions that predispose people to developmental, emotional, personality or relationship problems experienced by individuals, couples, families or groups; the nature and treatment of those disorders; crisis intervention strategies; and the influence of various family and group dynamics, gender differences, cultural diversity, social problems, and age on the emergence of various problems and symptoms.

Students will be trained to conduct intake and assessment interviews, to develop treatment plans and counseling interventions, and to function as ethical and competent counselors. Students also will acquire a knowledge of research and assessment techniques and the pragmatic concerns (e.g., managed care and budget constraints) facing the mental health field today.

In order to apply what they have learned in the classroom, students will, in consultation with and with the approval of the Coordinator of Practicum/Internship, procure a Practicum and Internship Site and complete 100 hours of Practicum and 600 hours of internship at a mental health counseling site. Experiences will be arranged with the Coordinator of Practicum/Internship and the student will be supervised both “on-site” and on campus by licensed personnel.

The M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit degree. The counseling program is based on the practitioner/researcher model valued in the mental health professions. It meets the educational requirements of the Professional Counselors Examiners Committee for licensure as a licensed associate counselor (LAC) and licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the State of New Jersey and also meets the educational requirements of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Beginning fall semester 2016 the CMHC M.A. will offer the option of two additional specializations as approved by CACREP. Both the school counselor and addiction specializations will be 63 credit-degrees. To be clear these are SPECIALIZATIONS, not separate certifications.

Accreditation:

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program meets the educational requirements of the Professional Counselors Examiners Committee for licensure as a licensed associate counselor (LAC) and licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the State of New Jersey and also meets the educational requirements of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

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This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Specific School Disclosures.